Automatic train pipe connecter



July 10, 1934. J. ROBINSON AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER Original Filed Aug. 22, 1929 INYENTOB M ATTORNEY Patented July 10, 1934 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER ,J'oseph Robinson, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Roy M. Wolvin, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada Application August 22,

1929, Serial No. 387,761

Renewed March 22, 1932 14 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic train pipe connecters :and particularly to an improved form of means for resiliently supporting the coupling heads of such connecters. The construction shere shown is an improvement on the arrangement illustrated and described in my co-pending application Serial #315,655 filed October 29th, 1928. Among the objects is to simplify and improve the construction shown in that application.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement;

Figure 2 is a sectional front elevation on approximately the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional front view onsubstane tially the 'line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing a modification of my improved support, and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the rear end of the extension 'or abutment '19 showing its curved formation.

Any suitable form of coupling head A may be used with my improvement, such for instance as the wing type shown, or the pin and funnel type. The yoke or carriermember B may besecured to the coupling head A in any desired manner. In the present arrangement I provide the yoke with a hollow forward end which is pressed into the coupling head A. Within this hollow end I removably mount a suitable-connecter conduit or hose fitting '1 which preferably curves laterally out of one side of the carrier B. A suitable plunger pin or other locking device 8 removably anchors the conduit in place by passing downwardly through the shank .9 of the carrier and through a lug 10 on the conduit. The carrier is apertured at 11 to receive the abutting lower ends of my improvedspring support or bracketC, asuitable pin 12 being passed through the walls of the shank 9 and through the looped lower end led the bracket. This connectionis preferably rigid or semi-rigid. My improved bracket or supporting device C comprises a pair of vertically disposed springs 15 and 16 the upper ends '17 of which oppose each other and turn inwardly into a lug D suitably secured to the bottom of the usual car coupler, partly shown. Complementary grooves are provided in the lug to receive the upper ends of the-spring brackets as illustrated, and a suitable clamp 18 passes through the lug and embraces the upper ends of the springs to securely lock them'in position on the lug as illustrated.

The shank 9 of the carrier B extends rearwardly past the lower ends of'the bracket C and is turned upwardly forming the projection or extension 19, the upper portion of which terminates in a curved abutting face 20 which normally zengages the rear side of the coils or loops 21 of the springs to hold the coupling head A in the normal horizontal position. This engagement is preferably at a point below the center of the coils 21. This is to cause the lower ends 14 of the bracket C to be drawn rearwardly when the coupling head A is shoved downwardly. In other words, when the head is shoved downwardly the portion 23 of the projection 19 cams upwardly on the rear side of the coils 21 causing the lower ends of the springs to be drawn or compressed rearwardly. When the force drawing the headdownwardly is removed, the springs return the coupling head to the normal horizontal position shown in Figure 1. When the cars engage the coupling head A, since it projects in advance of the car coupler, will be shoved rearwardly, thus carrying the projection ,19 out of engagement with the coils 21 of the supporting spring or bracket C. When in this position the coupling heads may move vertically with freedom, and laterally to a limited extent without twisting the springs. Further lateral movement is resisted by the torsional resistance of the springs, extreme lateral movement being permitted by the resiliency of the springs. The projection 19 may be resilient, or resiliently connected to the shank 9.

The modification shown in Figure 3 consists simply in forming the lower ends of the springs or bracketC so as to straddle the shank 9 of the carrier B. When thus arranged the-connection between the lower ends of the springs and the shank isrelatively aloose connection so that the .coupl'ng head may move laterally a very considerable distance without placing the springs under torsion. The curved face of the abutting portion 23 of the extension 19see Figure 4-rides across the rear face of the coils 21 when lateral movement of the head takes place. Such curve is so proportioned as to cause the lower end of the bracket or springs C to be drawn rearwardly when the heads swing laterally as mentioned. Therefore when the force is removed the head will be swung back to the normal position shown in Figure 1.

It will be understood of course that the springs .C may be made of any material and shape or cross section, with any desired number of coils. I preferably form them of round or square material and with one or more coils. Generally the normal compression-that is, the rearward movement-of the lower end of the springs, when the cars couple up, is from 2" to 2 /2.

The foregoing arrangement produces a very simple and efficient automatic connecter, but I am aware that changes may be made Within the scope of my invention. I therefore desire not to be limited to the-exact construction shown.

What I claim is:

1.. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a resilient support therefor including a spring having an upper and a lower end, a member secured to said head and extending rearwardly thereof and connected to the lower end of said spring, said member having a part projecting rearwardly of its point of connection with said spring and means arranged to contact with said rearwardly projecting part to sustain said head in normal uncoupled position.

2. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, means for yieldingly supporting the head, said means including a vertically disposed spring having upper and lower ends and a coil between such ends, and means connected with the head and engaging the rear side of said coil and adapted, on downward movement of the head, to place said spring under compression.

3. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a shank extending rearwardly therefrom, a vertically disposed resilient bracket anchored thereto, and means connected to said head and engaging the rear side of said resilient bracket to cause the bracket to be placed under compression upon downward movement of the coupling head from the normal uncoupled position.

4. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a resilient support therefor comprising a vertically disposed spring having upper and lower ends and a coil between such ends, and means connected with the head pivotally attached to said support and engaging the rear side of said coil for yieldingly sustaining the head in the normal horizontal position, said means being adapted to move out of contact with said coil when the heads couple up in service.

5. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a carrier connected to said head, a resilient support or bracket extending downwardly into said carrier with its lower end anchored to the carrier, said support having also an upper end and a coil between said ends, said carrier terminating in a portion which engages the rear side of said coil to yieldingly sustain said coupling head.

6. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a carrier for said coupling head, a vertically disposed resilient bracket or spring the lower end of which extends into an opening in said carrier and is secured thereto in a manner permitting free universal movement of the coupling head, all or part of which movement is resisted by said spring, and means extending from said carrier into engagement with the rear side of said resilient bracket for yieldingly sustaining the coupling head in the normal horizontal uncoupled position.

'7. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a resilient support therefor including a spring having an upper and a lower end and a coil intermediate such ends, and means connected to said head and engaging the rear side of such coil to yieldingly sustain said coupling head, said means being shaped to exert a cam action against said coil on downward movement of said head.

8. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising, in combination, a coupling head, a resilient support therefor having an upper end and a lower end, a member secured to said head and extending rearwardly thereof and pivotally connected to the lower end of said support, said member having a part projecting rearwardly of its point of connection with said support and having its rear end arranged to contact with said support between the upper and lower end thereof.

9. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising, in combination, a coupling head, a yieldable support therefor having an upper and a lower end, a member secured to said head and extending rearwardly thereof and pivotally connected to the lower end of said support, and means associated with said member and extending rearwardly of the lower end of said support and having a part arranged to engage said support between the upper and lower ends thereof to yieldingly sustain the head in normal uncoupled position.

10. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising, in combination, a coupling head, a yieldable support therefor having an upper and a lower end, said support intermediate its ends being formed with a coil, a member secured to said head and extending rearwardly thereof and pivotally connected to the lower end of said support, said member having a part rigid therewith and projecting rearwardly of its point of connection with said support and having its rear end arranged to contact with the rear side of said coil to thereby yieldingly sustain said head in normal uncoupled position.

11. In an automatic train pipe connecter, in combination, a coupling head, a single yieldable member for supporting said head from a part of a car, and means connected to said head and arranged to bear against said member for maintaining said head in a substantially horizontal position when the head is not coupled to a mating head.

12. In an automatic train pipe connecter, in combination, a coupling head, a car coupler, a single yieldable member carried by the car coupler and pivotally connected to said head, and means secured to said head and extending rearwardly of the pivotal connection between said member and head to cooperate with a portion of said yieldable member for maintaining the head in substantially horizontal position when the head is not connected to a mating head.

13. In an automatic train pipe connecter, in combination, a coupling head, a single resilient member for supporting said head from a part of the car, said resilient member being pivotally connected to said head, said head having connected thereto a portion projecting rearwardly from said point of pivotal connection, said spring having a portion arranged to be engaged by said rearwardly extending portion on the head, whereby said head is maintained in substantially horizontal position when the same is disconnected from the mating head.

14. In an automatic train pipe connecter, in combination, a coupling head having a shank extending rearwardly therefrom, a resilient member pivotally connected to said shank at the rear of the head, said shank extending rearwardly of said pivotal connection, said rearwardly extending portion of the shank being positioned to engage against a part of said resilient member when said head tends to move downwardly around said pivotal connection, whereby said head is held in substantially horizontal position when not coupled to a mating head.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

